Harvard University

About Harvard University

It was at Harvard University that the first formal North American programs in city and regional planning (1923) and urban design (1960) were established. Since then, Harvard has played a leading role in the education of urban planners and urban designers. The Department of Urban Planning and Design is home to both professions, offering a professional degree in urban planning and a post-professional degree in urban design. It is also home to the new Master in Real Estate degree.

Points of Distinction

Harvard's two-year professional Master in Urban Planning (MUP) degree program engages with critical issues facing cities and regions in coming decades. Drawing on the strengths of the department, school, and university, GSD planning students learn how to understand, analyze, and influence the variety of forces—social, economic, cultural, legal, political, ecological, and aesthetic, among others—shaping the built environment. Four key areas of concern animate the learning environment: how planning can manage change in complex environments; dealing with multiple scales and systems; engaging ethically with problems now and in the future; and planning as an active practice where implementation matters.

Degrees & Programs

Master's Degree
Degree Name	Master in Urban Planning
Degree accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board:	Yes
Minimum GPA	N/A
Minimum GRE	N/A
Minimum TOEFL	92
Minimum IELTS	N/A
Year this program started	1930
In-state tuition per year	$59,488
Out-of-state tuition per year	$59,488
Application deadline	January 3, 2025
Financial aid and scholarship deadline	February 5, 2025
Students in program	97
Full-time equivalent student:faculty ratio	4.27

Bachelor's Degree